Vatican Museums tickets cost €25 online or €20 at the door. Your ticket includes the Sistine Chapel on the same day. Entry is on Viale Vaticano from 8:00 with last admission at 18:00.
Updated Hours and tickets Vatican Museums official site, read ; tour prices read
Go to the Museums entrance on Viale Vaticano; St Peter's Basilica has separate entry through the square.
Museums route
The Vatican Museums hold the popes' collections across about 7 kilometres of galleries. Your ticket covers the Raphael Rooms and the Sistine Chapel. You can also visit the sculpture halls and the Pinacoteca painting gallery.
The Gallery of Maps has 40 painted maps of Italy along 120 metres of wall. The Pinacoteca holds 460 paintings in 18 rooms. If paintings are your priority, allow time for that gallery alongside the chapel.
The official Museums website has a downloadable map with English service labels. Look for Vatican Museums Map under Info. Save it before your visit because the galleries have no Wi-Fi.
What to do: If you have 2 hours, choose a few stops before you go. Allow longer if you want to spend time in the painting gallery as well.
The ticket
| Ticket | Adult price |
|---|---|
| Museums free Sunday9:00 to 14:00; last entry 12:30; next date 29 November | Free |
| Reduced Museums ticket at the doorAges 7 to 18; students through age 25 with documents | |
| Reduced Museums ticket onlineSame reduction with the official Skip the Line entry | |
| Adult Museums ticket at the doorIncludes the Sistine Chapel on the same day | |
| Adult Museums ticket online€20 admission plus €5 booking fee | |
| Vatican Gardens open bus and Museums45 minutes on the bus, then Museums entry; reduced €23 |
Official prices, read ; reduced rates shown where available
The official online ticket costs €25. That includes €20 admission and a €5 booking fee for the official Skip the Line entry. You still pass security checks. A door ticket saves you the booking fee.
Your ticket covers the Museums and the Sistine Chapel on its booked date. There is no separate chapel ticket in the official price list. Museums tickets cannot be refunded.
Reduced tickets cost €10 at the door or €15 online. Children aged 7 to 18 qualify. Students through age 25 need a document from their institute. Children under 7 enter free.
Visitors with certified disability of at least 67% enter free. A companion also enters free if assistance is needed. Priests and religious qualify for reduced tickets with documents, as do seminarians and novices.
The Gardens open bus costs €37 and includes the Museums afterwards. The 45-minute ride has an audio guide and makes no stops. You can visit the Sistine Chapel on the same ticket that day.
What to do: If you know your date, use the official shop for €25 entry. A €20 door ticket saves €5 if you can keep your plans flexible.
Opening times
Vatican Museums8:00 to 20:00. Monday to Saturday, last entry 18:00
Museums, free Sunday9:00 to 14:00. Last Sunday of the month, last entry 12:30
open, you can enter open, last entry has passed
The Museums open from 8:00 to 20:00, Monday to Saturday. Last entry is 18:00. You must leave the halls 30 minutes before closing, so gallery time ends earlier.
On the free last Sunday, hours are 9:00 to 14:00. Last entry is 12:30. The next free date is 29 November, with the Sistine Chapel included in your visit.
Calendar
Closed and open days from the official Museums ticket shop, read . St Peter's has its own hours and does not follow this calendar.
The Museums close on most Sundays. The last Sunday is free unless it falls on Easter Sunday or 29 June. The same exception applies to 25, 26 and 31 December.
Other closures include 1 and 6 January, 11 February and 19 March. Easter Monday, 1 May and 29 June are closed too. Later closures are 14 and 15 August and 1 November. December closures fall on 8, 25 and 26 December.
On 10 November all sectors open at 9:00. On 4 December and 18 December the Sistine Chapel closes at 18:00, with last entry at 17:30.
On the day
The entrance is on Viale Vaticano, 00165 Rome. Ottaviano and Cipro are the nearby Metro line A stops. You pass a metal detector before entering, including with a booked ticket.
Your shoulders must be covered. Low necklines and shorts above the knee are not allowed. Miniskirts and hats are also banned. The clothing rule applies to the Sistine Chapel too.
The cloakroom is free for bags staff consider too large. If you plan to continue to St Peter's, keep your luggage elsewhere. The Museums ask you not to leave bags with them for that visit.
You can take photos for personal use in the Museums. Flash and selfie sticks are banned, as are tripods. Inside the Sistine Chapel, all photography and filming are forbidden.
Wheelchairs are free while available, with an identity document and a deposit. Staff direct families with strollers to lifts. You cannot eat or drink inside the exhibition halls.
The official shop is tickets.museivaticani.va. Your online ticket costs €25, including the €5 booking fee and Sistine Chapel entry.
An adult ticket costs €20 at the door or €25 online. Reduced tickets are €10 or €15 respectively. Children under 7 enter free.
Yes, your Museums ticket includes the Sistine Chapel on the same day. There is no separate chapel ticket in the official price list.
2 hours can cover selected stops; the shorter guided tours here use that length. The museum itinerary spans about 7 kilometres, so allow longer if you want more galleries.
Yes, the €25 online Museums ticket includes the official Skip the Line entry. You still pass through security checks.
Book once you know your date if you need a particular slot. A €20 door ticket is an alternative if your plans can stay flexible.
Tours
A guided tour includes admission and someone to explain what you see. The official online ticket alone costs €25. St Peter's entry is free, so a tour's Basilica access pays for a service around that visit.
The options below take 2 or 3 hours.
What to do: If you want explanations, compare the group sizes and visit lengths above. Buy the €25 official ticket if you would rather set your own pace.
Museums, Sistine Chapel and Basilica access
Two start times, 8:45 and 13:45, and a limit of 10 people. The guide hands you over at the Basilica door, where you continue alone with faster access.
from €129 per adult
See the tourVatican Museums and Sistine Chapel
The quick version: 2 hours in English with admission included. Up to 20 people share the guide, and St Peter's is left for you to do alone.
from €72 per adult
See the tourVatican Museums and Sistine Chapel
Three hours with radio headsets and a group of 10, which gives the galleries more time than a 2-hour tour. Starts run from 8:00.
from €150 per adult
See the tourPrices in euro per adult, read : the usual lowest price of each option, without short sales. The booking page shows the price for your date. We add no fee.
Nearby
Chapel entry and the rules for photos inside
The School of Athens and the rooms on your Museums ticket
Official prices for the Museums and St Peter's visits